Shifting
Shifting - Originally Posted October 1, 2017
Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. Its about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to let our true selves be seen. ~ Brene Brown.
The shift is real. If you know me in the physical world, or follow my blog you know I’ve been in transition from childcare provider to Creative Entrepreneur for the last several years. That’s me now, Creative Entrepreneur. I am ever so grateful to be at this place along my journey. Its an intentional choice and it is truly a gift to spend my days doing what I am passionate about. I find it comical that I still feel like there are not enough hours in the day – even though I no longer have a day job pulling me away, I love spending my time creating so much I feel like I still can not get enough studio time! That is a great problem to have. But in all honesty, its not easy, in fact its downright hard at times and its definitely a lot of work. I am my own PR person, Marketing Rep, Supervisor, Web designer, Publisher, Media Designer, Bookkeeper, etc. This shift in perspective and physical job is very real. For all of my adult life I have been operating in a system where I work for a certain amount of time and that equates to a certain paycheck. That’s how our culture looks at work/career. With my new creative endeavors I have to reframe my thinking to notice the positive impact my new work/career has not only on me, but on others, and that is the sweet spot to try to stay in. Occasionally though I slip back into that old perspective; placing value on my work by that paycheck at the end. Perhaps its not so much placing value as placing validation of the worthiness of what I spend my time doing. Don’t get me wrong, paying my bills is still important, its just not the driving factor in what I do. I do what I love and have faith that the money will follow. Its a big shift in perspective. How do you measure success? Paycheck amount? Hours of work completed? Degrees? Titles? Tasks completed? Oh, yea, and that ‘following your passion’, how does that fit in the success meter? Measuring success as a Creative Entrepreneur is a bit tricky; for me passion is a key ingredient as well as positive impact on my life and the lives of people I interact with.
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. ~ Oprah Winfrey
The Universe, the divine, God(dess), or whatever you choose to call that thing bigger than yourself, I firmly believe provides us with the teachers we need at the time we need them. I am so thankful for each one of the teachers that cross my path. Some are challengers, some are supporters, and sometimes they are surprising.
A shift in perspective makes the particles in the Universe dance to new possibilities. ~ The Afterlife of Billy Fingers… a true story by Annie Kagan
Occasionally my little friends, who are now school age, come back to spend a day with me. I look forward to those days. Children are some of the best teachers life has to offer. The gift of seeing the world through their eyes. They have not been ushered into all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘should nots’ that I, and maybe most adults, get trapped in. For them life is much simpler. Do what makes you happy and be good to other people. “So happy that you are bursting with happiness”, as one little friend recently described to me. Picture this: coloring pages, designed for staying in the lines, “but if you really want to show happiness, then when you color in those ‘happy faces’ go out of the lines to show that they are bursting with happiness”…that is the way to do it I was told. Imagine a world where we are all walking around bursting with happiness, happiness that cannot be kept inside the lines. Then your light will shine on others and raises the world’s vibration. That is the path I want to stay on, outside the lines bursting with happiness.
Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Love and happiness. I try to make each decision throughout my day from a place of love and happiness. Dealing with billing departments or health insurance agencies does not leave me filled with love. There are plenty of situations where its easy to fall out of that state of approaching life from love and happiness bursting out of you – that is the challenge. I mean really, deep inside I’m still just that six-year-old girl navigating life in this human body. Clearly I need to listen to that child too and look at life more simply. Do you ever feel that way? One thing I know? Its worth this struggle. This is how I want to measure success; love and happiness for myself and others. I’m working on my personal success meter, but its not a quick change. Occasionally I start beating myself up about that paycheck that isn’t predictable as a Creative Entrepreneur. Does that make what I do less valuable? I don’t think I’m unique in this struggle or some iteration of it. These questions swirl around my head. At the end of the day when my ego says, “well, what did you get done today?” and my spirit says “shhh, its not about ticking off a list, its about stillness of being, its about authenticity, its about love and happiness, its about being a shining light in a world that is sometimes so dark. Keep walking your walk, talking your talk, being your authentic self.” This shift is right where I need to be, right now.
Life is nothing but an opportunity for love to blossom. ~ Osho
I recently finished reading Hannah Brencher’s memoir The World Needs More Love Letters. Reading about her struggles and successes – success not measured by a paycheck but by a following of passion, finding love and happiness for herself, and helping others was very inspiring. Hers wasn’t an easy path (one she continues today) but she came to see it was definitely worth it. She is a giving, loving, spirit. Her book caught my eye as I’ve been focusing of that state of being – love and happiness – a lot lately, but also because I am an avid letter writer. If you read about the book you’ll see that while struggling with depression, and a need for feeling connected (don’t we all struggle with that at times? I do.) she began writing love letters and leaving them all over New York City to be found by strangers with the intention of lifting her own spirits, feeling more connected somehow, but also doing the same for the recipients. This unintentionally turned into something much bigger than making herself feel better, and has had a tremendous impact on many people’s lives. Read it, you’ll be inspired, I promise. For me one of the ‘take aways’ from her book was that you don’t need to do something big to make a difference in this world. Small things make a difference too. I plan to join her project as a letter writer, but I also plan to keep doing my own part in other small ways. Check out her website, http://www.moreloveletters.com/ , you’ll be happy you did. Maybe you will even choose to join in and write a letter once in a while. Spread happiness and love, it will make you feel great! Experience your own shift.
A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. ~ Mother Teresa
Love, Light, and Laughter,
Shannon
